Give your Press Releases a Holiday Makeover!

December 14, 2011

The Associated Press, those doyens and sages of the English language, or a bunch humorless killjoys (delete as appropriate) have announced a timely and interesting style guide to the Holiday season. We’ve printed the highlights below but it also raises the key questions about being aware of your audience and their requirements. As well as Christmas falling within the season, we have Hannukah, Kwanzaa and New Year celebrations so make sure you plan for these events and associated activity, or lack of it in the next few weeks.

The AP’s guidance is particularly welcome as many press release writers will be sorely tempted, or may even have good reason, to throw many seasonal references into their work. And how many of us experienced or newer writers have even given a second thought to the terms we are using and whether they are being used accurately or correctly?

Every press release you write should not just be a cookie-cutter exercise, it should teach you something about your subject and you should end the process with a greater knowledge than when you began. If you can become a more thoughtful, considered and effective press release writer this holiday season then you will have given yourself a valuable present!

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Advent – The four Sundays preceding Christmas.

“Auld Lang Syne” – Sung to greet the New Year, poem by Robert Burns set to Scottish music.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Dateline for AP stories from the biblical site of Jesus’ birth.